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Life as I see it

Maybe it’s me. Maybe I’m stupid. Well…let’s not get carried away. I most certainly am not stupid. But I am clearly missing something.

Can someone explain to me how blocking traffic, inconveniencing people at airports, and lighting things on fire is supposed to make things better? Can someone explain how a thinking person can rationalize purporting to be defending American values, by rioting? Could someone with a camera and microphone go interview one of these morons in the street and attempt to ascertain if they even know what “American values” are?

If I am hearing the message clearly, sitting around waiting to get shot, stabbed, or bombed is an American value. Importing people, without regard to the impact on our economy or national security is an American value. Failing to uphold the law is an American value. Elected officials instigating, supporting, and participating in civil unrest which negatively impacts their constituents, is an American value. And lastly, members of an Administration directing other members of an administration not to enforce an Executive Order, is an American value.

Schmuck Schumer called the acting AG “a profile in courage”. This is to some degree funny, because Chuck Schumer has never witnessed, experienced, or embodied courage, so I am not sure how he would identify it. Nevertheless, she found out what all the rest of us know. When you refuse to do your job, you lose it. If you doubt me, report to your job this morning and inform your boss that you intend not to follow or enforce several policies because you personally disagree with them. I’ll wait….

The simple fact is that the Hollywood elites, the career politicians, and the snowflakes in the street, have no idea what “American Values” are. I don’t think they ever have.

It is funny to watch the limousine liberals with their private jets and their security details try to share a cause with the unwashed masses. People who sit on street corners smoking dope, don’t shower for days on end, and believe they have a right to disrupt the lives of the productive members of society who provide their sustenance.

I watched a video last night of people in vehicles moving through the crowds trying to block traffic. Some of them inched through, but a few just floored it and literally ran these protestors down. I applaud these actions. If you are going to illegally gather in the street and attempt to disrupt the flow of traffic, you absolutely deserve to be hit by a car.

Your dissatisfaction with the Trump administration does not grant you the right to prevent me from getting home, or to work. It does not entitle you to impede commerce. It does not entitle you to stop traffic.

I have spent many hours writing about the dangers of, and arguing against, heavy handed, overreaching government. I do not advocate for government control of society. I do not believe that, in general, the answer to every problem is a government agency or program. But I have to say, if the police and federal officers cannot perform the most basic of functions (keeping the street clear), then what exactly do we need them for?

Personally, I am sick and tired of the professional protestors. I am tired of lectures from vapid millionaires in Hollywood. I am tired of foreigner’s wants and needs being placed above our rights and security. I am tired of people preaching about American Values, when they in fact exist to subvert and undermine everything America actually stands for.

It is generally accepted practice to question someone’s positions without questioning the patriotism. I am breaking with that practice. I believe that the Democrat party as a whole, and the elected representatives in particular, do not care at all about America or American values. They do not exist to protect, or serve, or further the interests of America. They exist to oppose Republicans. Period. It is party before country, every step of the way. I for one am sick of it.

Assclowns in the State Department are saying that the travel *moratorium* will not make our country safer. No…of course not. Because continuing to allow unvetted refugees from war torn countries in the Middle East to enter our nation is clearly safer than not allowing them. People actually say these things? And other people believe them? This is like saying a wall or fence around a prison doesn’t make the community safer. Really? Then why do we bother building them?

President Barrack Abu Nidal Hussein Shariek bin Obama claimed no foreign terror organization had struck America on his watch. No…we just had shit blown up in Boston, people killed in Orlando, stabbings on college campuses, shootings at military bases…the list goes on. And many of these attacks were carried out in the name of Allah, by people who came to this country as immigrants and refugees.

So I would like to propose this course of action. Every movie star like Assclown Kutcher who wants to have these people in “his America”, should be required to personally house as many immigrants as their oversized mansions will accommodate. Every moron in the street should have a Syrian refugee placed in their home. Every Democrat who wants these people allowed into our country without proper vetting, should be forced to house them.

But that won’t happen will it? Because Democrats always want to spend other people’s money. They want projects, but they want them in your jurisdiction, not theirs. Because Ashton knows that the next place to get shot up will be some nightclub, or bowling alley, or Army base…and he won’t be there. It’s easy to push to have these people brought into the nation when you know not one of them will be living in your gated, patrolled, protected community.

Please, stop the preaching. You have no idea what American Values are. You have never met a real American, haven’t had a conversation with anyone who disagrees with you in years, and haven’t had to actually earn a dollar in your adult life. You have no frame of reference for, or understanding of, American values.

In fact…if you think Syrian refugees are so awesome, maybe you should be in Syria attempting to relieve their suffering. You could tell them jokes. Or maybe you could tell them about some rich, white, privileged woman who refused to do her job and got fired for it…and what a “profile in courage” she is.

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Much of what I am about to say has been or will be said on conservative radio today. Outside of that, you likely will not hear any of it on social media, the mainstream news, or in liberal blogs. This is primarily due to the fact that liberals, as a group, are incapable of thought and fact based argument. You may consider that a broad based accusation. I consider it simply, the truth.

So let’s start with the notion of racism. If liberals were capable of thought they would understand the fact that selecting people originating from specific countries is not racism. If it is anything it would be nationalism. The thing the affected people have in common is their nation of origin, not their race.

Next, let us consider that no one has been “banned”. A moratorium has been placed on immigration from 7 nations, which were identified by the Obama administration and voted on by Congress to be placed on a list of “Countries of Concern”. These are all nations known to harbor terrorists and/or sponsor terrorism. The decision to implement a system whereby immigrants and visitors from these nations are more closely scrutinized is a sound one from a security perspective.

“It’s a Muslim ban!” No snowflake…it’s not. If it were a Muslim ban there are 40 more predominantly Muslim nations which would also be on the list. They are not.

“It’s Unconstitutional!” This one makes me laugh. Not because I think violations of the Constitution are funny, but because I think hearing it from people who sat silent while Obama violated the constitution is funny. For instance, people are up in arms about Trump’s proposal to deport around 2-3 million criminal illegals. Meanwhile Obama actually did deport 2.4 million illegals, and no one said a word. Explain that…

What’s truly sad is to hear members of Congress say that what Trump is doing is illegal and unconstitutional. The President has the authority to set immigration policy. Just like Obama could decide to jack up the number of refugees coming in, Trump can decide to lower it. It’s pretty simple and clear cut. You don’t need an advanced degree to get it.

Lastly, no one has a right to enter this country. Not even you, snowflake U.S. citizen. Once you leave you are subject to being allowed to return. You can be pulled aside, questioned, have your bags inspected, etc. And you may not be sent on your way until Customs and Immigration are content with your presence. So the notion that a non-citizen has some sort of “right” to come here is comical.

It’s sad that liberals would rather put the safety and security of their fellow citizens in jeopardy than appear mean to immigrants. But, as Europe is finding out, when you cast open the door and allow middle-eastern immigrants/refugees from war torn, terror prone, nations to enter…you get the war and the terror along with them. This is not a knock against the people per se. it is simply an acknowledgement of reality. Portions of the UK, France, Germany, and others, are learning this lesson as we speak. As rapes, other crimes, and terrorist acts, increase across Europe. As people with one way of thinking, which has no regard for women or basic human rights, move into and occupy land historically occupied by people with a diametrically opposed set of values.

It’s very simple when you boil it down.

Many people from these nations believe it is okay, in fact ordained by God, to treat women as cattle. They believe homosexuality is a crime. They believe that Allah is God, Mohammed his prophet, and Sharia his law. They do not accept, and will not accept, western culture and values. Period. Not all of them, but many of them. We need to know which is which.

You may agree or disagree with various policies put forward by the Trump administration. But there is no argument that we need to properly vet ANYONE coming into this country. Especially those coming from areas known to be terrorist enclaves.

This is just plain old common sense.

Which is why liberals don’t get it.

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I have been sitting here this morning listening to the two senior people in the security operations center I work in discussing staffing and access. You see, the security operations center does not currently operate. We are in the process of standing it up.

In any event, as I listen to them speak about what access entry-level and journeyman people will need versus what rights and privileges “senior” people will need, I am reminded once again of a fatal flaw in organizational thinking regarding management.

In a couple of months, when this operations center is fully operational, I am certain I will find myself reporting to some “senior” person. However, the use of the term “senior” is meant to describe the level of experience the individual in question has with a certain set of tools, or in a certain environment. It is akin to describing an auto mechanic as a journeyman vs a “master” mechanic. The problem being, knowing how to fix a car doesn’t mean you know how to run a dealership.

I am speaking now as someone who will always be a technician and never a manager because I do not have a degree or a PMP certification. But the simple fact is that both I and every other contractor I know has worked on one or more failed programs run by people who do have degrees and PMP certifications. So, while I know no one is ever going to actually read and act on what I have to say here, I will say it anyway.

Management is not a college major. It’s not a name tag. It’s not a corner office, power ties, or business lunches. It’s not being called “sir” or “ma’am” by ass kissers in your office. Management is a role, a process, a means to an end. And on the whole I think we have entirely too many wholly unqualified individuals sitting in big chairs, with big titles…who don’t know shit.

Management starts with clearly understanding what has to be done, and selecting the right people to get it done. It begins with the creation of accurate job descriptions. It involves cooperation between recruiters, hiring managers, and the actual manager who will lead the personnel in question. It involves actually understanding the work and the skillsets required to accomplish it.

After you have determined the goal and hired the personnel, you need to clearly define the roles, the milestone, the expectations, the penalties and incentives, and the risks. Then you need to pass this information on to your people. There is nothing less productive than an employee that does not understand what they are doing, why they are doing it, when it needs to be done, and in what manner. A clueless employee is just a butt in a seat. An FTE. An excuse to bill hours to the customer. You do your customer, your company, and your employees a disservice when you engage in this type of management.

Management involves a clearly defined and understood chain of command. One of the things I liked best about my favorite manager of all time is that when the customer showed up in our space and started grilling us, she would intercede. I can still recall her saying, “If you have a question or a problem, you come talk to me. Do not talk to my people.” *That* is management. That is freeing me to do my job by taking on the responsibility of doing yours.

Lastly, management involves a lot of intangibles. Sure, you have the pedigree. You have your bachelor’s or master’s…or God-forbid your PhD. You have your PMP. You have your 40 hours of this training and 80 hours of that. All wonderful.

Do you know how to motivate people? Do you know how to get the best out of the people who work for you? Do your employees see themselves as part of a team, and you as the team leader? Do you take the side of an employee when they are right, even if it puts you at odds with YOUR manager?

Or do you see your job as simply standing by the clock to monitor when people come in and when they leave; cracking the whip from time to time during the day; taking long lunches and; hanging out with big-wigs?

Can you juggle multiple tasks, and people, and events? Do you freeze in an emergency? Are you capable of prioritizing, providing guidance, and pushing your team across the finish line? Or do you simply provide the excuses and point the finger at other people when things go sour?

I will never be a manager, because I lack the credentials. In spite of the fact that I manage an international gaming group with hundreds of members, and spend my evenings managing a much larger group of people than most of the organizations for whom I work. In spite of the fact that I can, and do, all of the things I listed above.

The truth of the matter is, it doesn’t really bother me much. I have enough to deal with at home and in the cloud. I am happy to do my job, cash my check, and go home. But on some level, it does stick in my crawl a little. Always having to answer to people who I wouldn’t let run one of my guilds, much less handle national security related activities.

And the further truth of the matter is, it’s their loss not mine. I make plenty of money. I forget what’s going on at work as soon as my ass hits my car seat. I have my evenings and weekends to spend as I like. There are no long hours or late nights.

So why am I “bitching”? Because it grates on me a little that someone who has no real skill or ability in management will be placed in charge of me because the “paper well”.

Sigh…. 20 more years to go….

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I’ve seen this expression on signs and all over social media. Various people, upset at the election of Donald Trump, have taken to stating that he is not their President. I may touch on the obvious fallacy in this statement, but that is not my purpose in writing this morning. This Monday after the Inauguration my purpose is to discuss the distinct differences between the right and the left.

First, the most obvious. I do not think that in my entire lifetime there has ever been a riot started by or participated in by White Republicans. If someone out there can document one, I will stand corrected. But it is my belief that at no point in time have white Republicans decided that the method by which they should express their dissatisfaction assaulting police officers, and destroying property.

Second, I am fairly certain that no right wing organization has banned or punished members for holding different views. Meanwhile Hollywood, the media, and various left leaning organizations are disparaging, threatening, and boycotting people like Steve Harvey for engaging with Donald Trump or performing at the inauguration.

Trump and Republicans are routinely criticized for dividing the nation by race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. But it is clearly the left that practices identity politics. Take for example the “Women’s March”. Self described feminists who hold a pro-life position were specifically told they were not welcome to participate. As if believing in the preservation of life strips one of their identity as a woman.

In reality, since it is the left that pushes the notion that there is no such thing as gender to begin with, and that a person is whatever they identify as, it strikes me as odd that they would even have a “Women’s March”.

The simple, demonstrable, inarguable fact is that it is the Democrats and their supporters who practice intolerance, bigotry, and racism.

The actual definition of tolerance is putting up with things you don’t like. Republicans do that every day. We are by and large, and as a matter of policy, generally content to let people live their lives. And we genuinely believe in, and practice, freedom of speech. The left does not.

As a member of the left you are not free to speak your mind, or deviate in any way from the party line. If you do you will be shouted down, ostracized, and in some instances physically assaulted. These things simply do not happen at right wing events, rallies, protests, etc. As an example, it has now been documented that the violence at Trump rallies during the campaign was instigated, and orchestrated, by organized left wing groups.

The simple fact is that the left is actually guilty of all the things they claim the right is guilty of. This can be proven through their own statements in writing and on video.

It is my hope that our new President will transcend all of the pettiness and BS, and actually move forward in a manner that will benefit all of us. In fact, I am certain that whatever he does will be intended to benefit all of us. Why? Because Republicans see people as Americans, it is Democrats that see people as hyphenated Americans.

Bottom line snowflake…he is YOUR President, and he will be for at least the next 4 years. So put your clothes back on, put the signs away, stop littering, rioting, and making fools of yourself in public…and let’s get about the business that should be at the top of EVERY American’s priority list.

There are moments in life, or at least in my life, where I come to sudden realizations. Epiphanies they call them. But there are also slow, inexorable, seemingly decades long processes where I confirm what I suspected at the start. I don’t know if I can put my finger on the moment when that confirmation became a reality. But, I suspect I am in, or near, one of those moments as I type this.

I spent a good portion of my life pretty well broke. I can still recall when my children were little and I had separated from their mother. I was living in a rent-controlled studio apartment on the wrong side of town. Driving a vehicle graciously given to me by my former father-in-law. One day in particular stands out. My kids asked me to take them to the park, and I had to tell them that I didn’t have gas money for a ride to the park.

Broke! Like, for real!

Which is why I develop a special level of anger at people who assume that because I am white and/or male, that I do not understand the plight of the poor. As if you have to be minority in order to have no money. Let me state for the record…I understand the plight of the poor. I live every day with the knowledge that if I were to lose the access I have to the facilities I work in, I’d be right back in that same boat.

Anyway, Lose Yourself by Eminem came out and the third verse really stuck in my head. I decided that I had to formulate a plot…or end up in jail or shot…

In any event, some 12 years ago (or thereabouts) I began to aggressively pursue success. First through a contact of my then girlfriend (now wife), and then through other contacts made as time went on, I found myself in increasingly better paying jobs.

I did some telecom work for a while. 8 hours a day standing on a ladder, pulling wire over my head. I walk around with messed up shoulders (they tell me it’s arthritis) nowadays as a result (IMHO) of that experience.

Then I got a security clearance and began a series of jobs. Some were physical, some were technical, but each time I took on a new position I got a raise in pay. When you’re dead broke a raise in pay is pretty much all you care about.

Eventually Bev and I got married. Between the two of us the money going into the checking account went up about 10x. I went from telling my kids I could not take them to the park, to sending my oldest to London as part of her senior class. It truly warmed my heart to be able to provide things for my kids, and I regarded this as my highest calling (aside, of course, from teaching them to be decent people).

When I was sitting around watching paint dry for a living (yes, really) I kept thinking (and saying) that I was meant to do more. When I worked Helpdesk, when I filled a small IA role, when I did Requirements work…I kept thinking and saying that I was capable of more. I even wrote a number of blog entries right here about how life has to be about more than just trudging to work to pay the bills.

Oh yeah…the bills. For those who do not know, or have only walked on one side of the street, let me take a moment to tell you about the bills.

When you’re broke…and I mean gas money broke…you “shop”. You find deals on things like food and toilet paper. You try to make sure you have enough money left over to pay for internet access or cable tv…because after all, there has to be something to do on the weekends. You accept gifts and donations from friends and family. You buy books on how to fix things, rather than pay someone to fix them.

When you cross over to where I am now (my eldest still recalls me telling someone that I make enough money to pay someone to punch them in the face), life is different. My wife, having never really lost her low income mindset, still calls me to say that she wants to get her nails done. I always reply with, “Do whatever you want. I don’t care.”

These days I do things like spend a grand a month adding ink to my arms. I wake up and decide I want a Harley, and that afternoon I ride home on my Harley. One of my daughters asks for something…and they get it. In short, I am now living the life I imagined I wanted back when I couldn’t afford to drive to the park. And don’t get me wrong, this is not one of those posts about how money cannot buy happiness. It absolutely can!

When I am sitting at the winery enjoying a good time with my friends…that’s happiness. When I am riding down the road with the wind in my face on the Harley I wanted since I was a kid…that’s happiness. When my daughter gets to see the world, and do things that other kids don’t get to do, and she hugs me and says “thank you daddy!”…that’s happiness. All sponsored by money.

No, this post is about the constant drive to do more, learn more, and earn more. It’s about the fact that when you are always on the bleeding edge…it’s you that does the bleeding. It’s about the thought that maybe I have reached a comfortable place…and then I took one more step…and maybe I should take a step back.

It’s about thinking that maybe a nice, boring, 40 hour a week, do it in my sleep, no certs or training required, type job might not be a bad thing. I had one of those a few weeks ago, and I moved on to where I am now sitting. Because I wanted to do something meaningful and “important”. I wanted to work in “security”. Cyber security to be exact. So here I am.

I haven’t been here long enough to really form an informed opinion. I will give it some time before I really make any important decisions. I am simply writing this because for the first time I can recall in my life, I have moved on from one place to another, taken a step ahead in pay and responsibility…and thought that maybe I made a mistake.

There are a lot of reasons why this thought has crept into my mind, but I won’t bore you with the details until I see how things pan out.

Time will tell. When it does…so will I.

Cheers

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Have you ever run into someone who feels the need to speak every time they walk by? I’m not just talking about the guy who says your name a little louder than needed each time you pass them in the hallway. I’m not even talking about the guy, obviously raised by a single mom, who doesn’t understand urinal etiquette and asks, “How’s it going” while you’re both standing there. I’m talking about the guy who walks up to your desk and starts a conversation about absolutely nothing.

In my case it is a guy I report to. As it stands right now, while the project is staffing up, I am the only person who reports to him. As such, in just under three days, we have apparently become old friends.

He stops by my desk with a notepad and pen in hand and says, “Questions for me?” Apparently unaware that if I had any questions I would have come to his desk and asked them. Interestingly, when I do go to his desk with a question there is generally no good answer forthcoming. That’s what I do… I ask the questions you don’t have the answers for.

In any event, he has become fascinated with the various aspects of my life.

I have always been something of a conundrum to the majority of the people I work with. Though to be fair there are usually one or two people at every workplace who get me. This guy is not one of those people. But man he sure is trying!

As I have said on several occasions, I am a defense contractor. I spend much of my time surrounded by people in various stages of business attire. From time to time a few of them whip out their Master’s degrees to see whose is bigger. There are lots of shiny shoes…and shiny cars.

I report to work in jeans and a polo. I am well into the process of getting full sleeves done on both arms. My definition of “the mission” is to feed my kids and pay the mortgage. What I do is not my life, it’s the means by which I finance my life.

This guy seems like he wants to get it, but the goofy smile tells me he does not in fact get it.

It appears that to him I am simply a combination of caricatures or things he has seen on TV. With regard to my tattoos for instance, upon learning that I have quite a bit of ink his response was, “Freakin’ Navy guys.” I have never served…

I mentioned an expression we in the gaming community use, and his reply was, “Gaming community? Are you a WoW’er?” Like everyone who plays games plays WoW. Or more to the point, WoW is the only game he is familiar with.

Yesterday he came up to my desk and asked me if I have written any SOP’s yet. We are three guys sitting in an Ops Center that is not operational yet. The other two guys are the Op Center Lead and the CND Lead. I was brought on in an entry level capacity. My purpose in being here is to learn the tools and skills, and gain the experience, to continue on a Security track during the remainder of my career. In other words, I’m here to learn. But he wants to know if I’ve written any SOP’s yet…

I left a position in property management to come here. At the moment of my departure I had no interest in continuing in that capacity. Security has always been of interest to me. Property accountability and management has never been of interest to me. But I have to say, this morning I really started thinking about that position.

Having to chase technical certifications every year and dealing with high stress, high consequence situations, may not be as much fun as I imagined. I will have to give that more thought. But there is one thing about which I am certain. Two actually..

I do not like when people who do not know me talk to me like they do know me. It’s presumptuous and irritating.

The people that I work with are the largest contributor to whether or not I enjoy my job. They create the environment. They make the day go faster…or slower. So if this guy doesn’t stop talking, we’re going to have a problem.

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This morning I am compelled by the events of the day to comment on the evolving situation regarding the police and our society. In the past couple of days there have been shootings by police officers, and shootings of police officers. Naturally, social media is ablaze with all manner of opinions and thoughts. Many of my friends and people I respect are posting short little opinion pieces or memes. I think the matter deserves a more in depth discussion, so I am going to attempt that here.

First let me qualify what I am going to say with a little bit of info about myself. I am white, middle aged, upper middle class, and I have never committed a crime of any type in my adult life. I have interacted with the police on a very limited basis (usually traffic related offenses), and all of those interactions have been resolved without anger, violence, or bloodshed.

Much of the discussion today revolves around the race of the victims of police violence. I will leave that discussion to the people who seek to categorize every event by race. It is not my desire or intent to discuss statistics, profiling, racial disparity, etc. I want to talk about something far simpler and easier to understand. Equal protection under the law.

There is a perception in the general public that the police are above the law. All the way from being let off on parking and speeding tickets, to being let go while DUI, to being able to shoot citizens with the virtual certainty that absolutely no punishment will result. It has gotten to the point now that there are memes on the internet about it. If you want to take paid vacation as a regular citizen you have to accumulate PTO. If a cop wants a couple weeks off with pay…just shoot somebody. Right or wrong, fair or not, this perception exists.

Friends of mine post memes, shared from police groups, stating that if we would simply stop resisting arrest people would stop getting shot. This is utter bullshit. The simple fact is that if one or more individuals approached you on the street and began assaulting you, you would have the natural right to defend yourself. This fact does not change because someone put shiny little badges on the people assaulting you.

The police enforce the law, they are not THE LAW. As citizens of the United States we have constitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizure, and various other law enforcement activities. This is because our founders recognized (through experience) the dangers of a corrupt justice system serving at the behest of the heads of state. The police being the first group of people brought to bear against the citizenry in a tyranny.

Let me illustrate my point with a somewhat unlikely, but not impossible, example. For those of you who say we should just obey the police. My purpose being, to demonstrate that blanket statements are not applicable in all circumstances.

So, we should just follow orders and we’ll all be safe…right? Let us imagine for a moment that you get pulled over on some dark country road late at night and the police orders your wife to exit the vehicle and perform oral sex on him on the side of the road. Should she follow that order? Would you sit calmly, and explain to her that he’s the police and she should do as she’s told? I think not. What if she declined and he began assaulting her? Would you “resist” then? And if he shot you while you were resisting, would he be justified in doing so?

What if he says, “Give me $200 and I’ll forget why I pulled you over”? Are you going to obey that order? No? Why not?

The simple fact is, unarmed people of all races are routinely shot, assaulted, battered, and the victims of various other crimes, at the hands of the police every day. Legally armed people are also shot. One cop hollers “gun!” and all hell breaks loose. In spite of the fact that owning a gun in the United States is not a crime, and neither is carrying it (subject to state and local regulations).

In recent years videos have popped up of various incidents of this type. A cop in a median beating the shit out of a homeless woman; 6 cops beating Kelly Thomas to death in the middle of the street; people pinned to the ground and shot in the back; cops stomping on the heads of prone and handcuffed suspects. The list goes on and on.

When we live in a society where one citizen can assault, maim, or kill another citizen and all he or she has to do is mutter some magic words, “I feared for my safety”, and all the charges disappear….that’s a problem. When the system not only fails to prosecute but actively seeks to obfuscate the facts and protect the offenders, it is understandable that the citizenry themselves will decide to address the situation.

I am not advocating for violence against the police, or for any form of unlawful behavior. I am simply stating what I believe to be an obvious fact. The police are public servants, and we are the public. We want law enforcement, not the Gestapo. We want reasonable, rational, police officers to enforce our society’s laws. Not bullies with badges and guns running around thinking they are above our society’s laws. Plain and simple.

Yes, I know the majority of cops are good people doing a tough job. But the simple fact is that many of them are not. Many of them are bad people, on a power trip, and using the “tough job” as an excuse. As long as “The Blue Wall of Silence” exists; as long as “good cops” protect bad cops; this mistrust of the police will continue.

If you want your police department to have good relations with the community it serves, start by policing the police.

If you really want to understand the issue, and in particular where the people with race based arguments are coming from, you can start by watching this video. Because for many of our fellow citizens, this is what happens when you call the cops.

Ask yourself this question. If you, as an average citizen, did any of the things portrayed in this video, would you be charged with a crime? If the answer is yes, then shouldn’t the police officers in these videos be charged with crimes? Badges don’t grant extra rights.

All that said, the cowardly acts committed in Dallas are not “justice”. Individual cops, performing individual illegals acts, should face individual charges and be tried as individuals. Opening fire on any random cop on the street is an act of hate, not justice. And my post is about justice, not revenge.